Ash-retaining safety cigarette



Filed May 13, 1963 i Making I :Machme: I .l

Two

Robert A. Campbell ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,165,105 ASH-RETAINING SAFETY CIGARETTE Robert A. Campbell, 167 N. Ridgeland Ave.,

Oak Park, Ill. Filed May 13, 1963, Ser. No. 280,016 4 Claims. (Cl. 131-4) This invention relates to an improved ash-retaining safety cigarette or the like.

As conducive to a better understanding of the instant invention, it should be pointed out that numerous accidental fires are caused through careless handing of cigarettes, either discarding them before they have been snuffed out or allowing a live ash therefrom to contact a combustible material. Also, very often lit cigarettes will be forgotten and will eventually be the source of an accident-a1 fire.

It is, therefore, a primary object of this invention to provide an ash-retaining cigarette which will preclude the dangers mentioned hereinabove.

Another object of the instant invention is the provision of an economical means of manufacturing a cigarette which will retain its own ashes and thereby help to prevent accidental fires when the cigarette is discarded or carelessly forgotton and not snuffed out.

A further object of this invention is to provide a cigarette wherein the smoke passing therethrough will be substantially purified by having some of the harmful chemicals, such as the tars and nicotines or the like, condensed out of the smoke before they reach the smokers mouth.

Still another object of the instant invention is the provision of a cigarette which affords a cooler, smoother smoke that is more refreshing and relaxing than the smoke from conventional cigarettes.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a cigarette having an ash-retaining trough of a material such as aluminum foil or the like secured thereto to support the ashes from the cigarette until they can be discarded in an ash tray or the like and simultaneously to reduce the heat of the smoke by radiation therefrom thereby cooling the smoke and condensing out undesirable harmful chemicals.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a cigarette of the type described having a trough-shaped member formed of a fire resistant material acting as a protective shield under the burning ember of the tobacco to help prevent the same from contacting any combustible surface and thereby starting a fire.

A further object of this invention is to provide a cigarette having a shield or member formed of a fire resistant reflective material, such as aluminum foil or the like secured thereto on the sides and bottom thereof to reduce the speed at which the tobacco burns thereby increasing the length of smoking time afforded by each cigarette.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a cigarette having an ash-retaining member secured thereto with an open front and top to facilitate lighting and burning of the same.

Yet another object of the instant invention is the provision of an ash-retaining cigarette further having in combination therewith a snuffer band spaced from the mouthpiece end thereof to automatically extinguish the cigarette in the event that the smoker fails to do so.

A still further object of the instant invention is the provision of an ash-retaining cigarette having a support means foldable away from the mouthpiece end of the cigarette to maintain the same in spaced relationship to a supporting surface for increasing the cleanliness thereof.

. Other and further objects reside in the process steps, combination of elements, arrangement of parts, and features of construction;

Still other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out as the description of the invention proceeds and as shown in the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a lit cigarette embodying the ash-retaining feature of the instant invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view thereof;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged front end view taken sub stantially on line 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a modified form of ash retaining cigarette including a snuffer band and a support means;

FIGURE 5 is a side elevational view of the embodiment of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged rear elevational view taken substantially on line 6-6 of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a front elevational view of a still further modified form of an ash retaining cigarette in accordance with the instant inventive concept;

FIGURE 8 is a front elevational View of yet another modification thereof;

FIGURE 9 is a schematic view of a preferred method for making ash-retaining cigarettes in accordance with the instant invention;

FIGURE 10 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of the web of cigarette paper having a plurality of ashretaining members secured thereto, portions thereof being indicated as having adhesive applied thereto and a dotted line being shown to indicate where the same would be cut to form individual cigarettes; and

FIGURE 11 is a view similar to FIGURE 10 showing a web of cigarette paper having ash retaining members secured thereto to form an ash-retaining cigarette according to the modification of FIGURES 4 to 6.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

Referring now to the drawing in general and more particularly to FIGURES 1 to 3, a basic form of ashretaining cigarette according to the instant inventive concept is designated generally by the reference numeral 20 and is comprised of a tubular member 22 formed of conventional cigarette paper having a lit or lighting end 24, and a mouthpiece end 26 and containing therewithin a substantially cylindrical tobacco filler 28 in a well known manner. An ash retaining trough-shaped member 30 is formed of a fire resistant material, preferably aluminum foil, but including such other materials as woven or matted fiberglass, ceramic fiber or asbestos sheet. The ash retaining member 30 is preferably porous as indicated at 32, but may be nonporous since both the front end and upper portion of the cigarette 20 is open to allow for suflicient air to reach the tobacco filler 28 to support combustion.

The ash retaining cigarette 20 may be utilized by supporting the mouthpiece end 26 between the lips of the smoker and lighting the end 24 as indicated at 34 to allow the ash to shrink back from the front edge of the ash retaining member 30 and to be supported thereon until shaken into an ash tray or the like when it is convenient. The smoker may smoke the entire cigarette to a butt and then discard the but and the total ashes in an ash tray when he is finished or, since the top and front are open, he may flick the ashes into an ash tray or the like at any time it is convenient. The ash retaining member 30, since it is highly reflective, will in addition to supporting the cigarette ashes, cool the smoke and condense undesirable chemical substances before they reach the mouth of the Patented Jan. 12, 1965 generally by the reference numeral 40 in FIGURES 4 to 6 and is comprised basically of a tubular member 42 having a lit or lighting end 44 and a mouthpiece end 46 and containing therewithin a substantially cylindrical tobacco filler 48 in a manner similar to the embodiment of FIGURES l to 3. An ash retaining member 50 is substantially trough shaped and formed of a fire resistant material like the ash retaining member 3b but includes a non-porous tubular snutfer band 52 secured to the tubular member lladjacent the rear end of the ash retaining member to automatically extinguish the light indicated at 54 in FIGURE 4 when it reaches this point of the cigarette in the event that the smoker fails to do so. The ash retaining member fill also includes a rearwardly extending support means b which is unsecured to the tubular member 42 and which may be folded away therefrom to maintain the mouthpiece end 45 thereof in spaced relationship to a supporting surface for increased cleanliness.

' Only by providing a cigarette having an ash retaining member integral or laminated therewith can the front end thereof be maintained open to facilitate lighting of the tobacco filler and cigarette paper. However, if desired, an ash retaining cigarette such as shown in FIGURE 7 at 60 may be provided having a tubular member 62 formed of cigarette paper and containing therewithin a tobacco filler 64, and an ash retaining member extending rearwardly of the body thereof similar to either of the embodiments of FIGURES l to 3 or 4 to 6, and further including a semi-circular insert 66 of the same or a different fire resistant material covering the lower half of the front of the tobacco filler 64 and secured to the ash retaining member in any conventional manner. Also, a similar portion of the front end of the tobacco filler 64 could be coated with a chemical material which is re resistant, such as sodium silicate, colloidal silica, or other such low cost silica material. This, of course would add to the expense of the ash retaining cigarette and has been found in most instances to be unnecessary when the ash retaining member is secured in laminated relationship to the tubular cigarette paper.

Although the ash retaining member has been shown as secured externally of the tubular member in the embodiments of FIGURES l to 7, an ash retaining cigarette such as shown at 70 in FIGURE 8 could be provided having a tubular member 72 formed of cigarette paper and having secured to its inner surface an ash retaining fire resistant member 74 similar to the ash retaining member 3%, with the tobacco filler 76 being contained therewithin. It will be understood that the ash retaining members in the embodiments described hereinbefore while formed preferably of aluminum foil may be laminated to thin tissue paper or the like to give them more body and an insulative quality. The tissue paper can be given a carbon coating to make it more fire resistant and the aluminum foil itself can be given a similar coating to increase its effectiveness. Also, the foil may be plain or it may have an attractive sparkling embossed design or pattern defined thereon. It may be printed or covered with colorful transparent inks to provide a more aesthetically pleasing cigarette. It may be white to match the color of the cigarette paper or colored in any desired manner to provide an attractive contrast. For example, green colored aluminum foil might be utilized for menthol or mint flavored cigarettes to make the same more attractive and to provides cooler appearance.

It will also be seen that while the ash retaining member covers a greater portion of the length and approximately one-half the circumference of the cigarette, only approximately less than 2 square inches of foil is needed for most conventional cigarettes. Therefore, a package of such ash retaining cigarettes would utilize only approximately 25 square inches of foil which is about the same quantity necessary to wrap the cigarette package. Thus, the use of the toll is economical and would add only a minimal cost to the cigarettes while allowing such cigarettes to command a premium price. Furthermore, since the aluminum foil or the like is extremely thin, it would not add measurably to the dimensions of the cigarette so that 20 ashretaining cigarettes in accordance with the instant inventive concept would be readily packaged in a conventional cigarette box or pack.

A preferred method of making the cigarettes of the instant invention is shown in FIGURES 9 to ll and comprises the steps of providing a source 80 of an elongated web 552 of conventional cigarette paper, also providing a source 84 of an elongated web of fire resistant material 8%, such as the aluminum foil referred to hereinbefore, preferably perforating the web 86 to render the same porous by passing the web between a soft or flexible surfaced roller 38 and a roller 90* having a plurality of pins or the like 92 disposed about its surface, and cutting the perforated or porous web 8d into preselected lengths by passing the same between a roller 94, either having a fiexible surface or a plurality of recesses 96 in its surface to accommodate spaced knives 9% secured to a roller 1%. The individual ash retaining members 102 are conveyed by any conventional means 184 past an adhesive applying roller 1th; wherein any conventional adhesive material is applied to predetermined portions of the upper surfaces thereof. Any conventional means 1%, such as a spring steel arm or the like, may then be utilized to invert the ash retaining members 1&2 and engage the surface having adhesive thereon with the web 32 of cigarette paper in spaced relationship. This combination is then passed between laminating rollers Ill) and 112, the former preferably having a flexible surface such as indicated at 114, and if necessary the assembly is then passed beneath heating lamps 116 to dry the adhesive. The web 82 of cigarette paper having the ash retaining members 102 adhesively engaged therewith is then passed into a conventional cigarette making machine 11% in which it is rolled about a tobacco filler substantially cylindrical in form (not shown) and then cut into individual cigarettes.

As shown in FIGURE 10, if the embodiment of FIG- URES l to 3 or FIGURE- 8 is being manufactured, the ash retaining members H920 will be substantially rectangular in form and will besecured to the web of cigarette paper 82a with the rear end of one member 162a s aced from the front end of the next succeeding member as indicated at space 12% to form the uncovered mouthpiece portion of the completed article. The ash retaining members M20 are perforated or porous as indicated at 122 and may have adhesive applied around its periphery and transversely across its center at a plurality of places as indicated at 124 or may be completely covered by adhesive if desired. When the cigarette paper has been rolled about the tobacco filler, individual cigarettes will be formed by severing the same along the dotted lines 12d coincident with the front end of each of the ash retaining members 102a.

FIGURE 11 shows a modified assembly utilized in the manufacture of an ash retaining cigarette, such as shown at 4 3 in FIGURES 4 to 6 wherein each of the ash retaining members limb is secured to the web of cigarette paper 82b, in a similar manner as shown in FIGURE 10. However, in this embodiment each member H221) includes an ofiset portion 128 substantially the same width as the web 82b, as compared to the Width of the remainder of the ash retaining member 16 21) which is slightly in excess of half the width of the web of cigarette paper 8211. This offset portion eventually forms the snuffer band 52. Also, each ash retaining member with includes a rearwardly extending support means portion 139, the adhesive 132 being excluded from this portion so that it can be later folded away from the cigarette paper Web 82!) to form the support means 56. Individual cigarettes are provided after the web of cigarette paper 82b carrying the plurality of ash retaining members 1021; is rolled about a tobacco filler (not shown) in the cigarette with the instant inventive concept, but it will be readily apparent that certain steps set forth therein may be slightly varied without changing the desired result. For example, although it would be more time consuming, the individual ash retaining members may be secured to the cigarette after they have been cut from their elongated assembly following the rolling procedure in the cigarette making machine. Also, it will be seen that While the assembly of the cigarette paper web having the ash retaining members secured thereto in laminating relationship may be fed directly into the cigarette making machine, it may also be rerolled for storage until needed at a future time. I It will now be seen that there is herein provided an improved ash retaining cigarette which satisfies all of the objectives of the instant'invention, and others, including many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance. 7

Since many embodiments may be made of this inventive concept, and since many modifications maybe made of the embodiments hereinbefore shown and described, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In a cigarette having a lighting end and a mouthpiece end, a tubular cigarette paper member of constant diameter and a constant diameter filler within said member, the improvement comprising,

(1) an open-ended trough-shaped ash retaining member of porous fire resistant material, uniformly secured in firm laminated relationship throughout its entire length to a portion of the outside lower half circumference of said tubular paper member,

(2) said ash retaining member including a front end contiguous to and longitudinally even with said lighting end of said tubular member and a rear end adjacent to but inwardly spaced from said mouthpiece end of said tubular member,

(3 said ash retaining member-further including adjacent its rear end a wide integral non-porous fire resistant snuffer band contiguous to portions of the remaining upper half of said tubular member,

(4) said ash retaining member further including a rearwardly diverging support means of substantially planar form, said support means being integral with the rear end of said ash retaining member and being foldable away from the adjacent ,surfacesof said tubular member to maintain, when so folded, said mouthpiece end of said cigarette inspaced upright supporting relationship with respect to a supporting surface, 7 p I (5) whereby when said cigarette, in lighted condition and inupright relation, is discarded, with the front end and rear support means of said ash retaining member both contacting a combustible supporting surface, the fire resistant trough will collect and re- ,tain the ashes from the lighted cigarette and the snufi'er band will extinguish the cigarette, thus aiding in the prevention of accidental fire to said-supporting' surface. f 2.- A cigarette having a combustible fillen a cigarette paper'wrapper rolled therear'ound, and an asli retaining and combustion dampening member formed of filreresis't-f ant material and "laminated to the wrapper,

1 said member being formed from an initially rectangular sheet blank of a length equal to that of the greater portion of the length of the cigarette and of a width slightly in excess of half the width of an unrolled paper wrapper, the end of said sheet blank being extended laterally so that the length of the extension corresponds to the remaining width of an unrolled Wrapper,

(2) the so formed sheet blank including its lateral extension being laminar with the wrapper and together rolled around the combustible filler with the sheet blank externally of the paper Wrapper,

(3) the initial rectangular blank portion thus forming an ash retaining trough, and the lateral blank extension thus forming a combustion dampening or snufiing band. 7

3. A cigarette in accordance with claim 2 wherein the sheet blank including its lateral extension is laminar with the wrapper and rolled around the combustible filler with the sheet blank positioned internally of the paper Wrapper.

4. A cigarette having a combustible filler, a cigarette fire resistant material and laminated for a major portion 7 of its length to the wrapper,

(1) said member-being formed from an initially rectangular sheet blank of a strength equal to that of the greater portion of the length of the cigarette and of a width slightly in excess of half the width of an unrolled paper wrapper, one end of said blank being extended laterallyso that the. length of the extension corresponds to the remaining width of an unrolled paper wrapper,

(2) the said one end of said sheet blank being also extended longitudinally by an amount equal to a fraction of the diameterof a cigarette and being of outwardly extending widening form with an end which is parallel to the opposite end of the rectan gular blank,

(3) the rectangular blank and the lateral extension being laminated to the wrapper, and the longitudinal extension being unsecured-to the wrapper and being in use foldable away from the wrapper,

(4) the so formed blank including the lateral and the longitudinal extensions being rolled around thecombustible filler, with the blank externally of the paper wrapper, Y

(5) the initial rectangular blank portion thus forming an ash receiving trough, the lateral blank extension thus forming a combustion dampening or snufling band, and the longitudinal extension whenlin use and folded away from the adjacent Wrapper thus forming a support means to maintain the adjacent end of the cigarette in spaced relationship to a support ing surface. i Y

' References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,999,222 4/35 Weinberger 2,013,508 9/35 Seaman 13ll5 2,098,619 11/37 Finnell 131-4 v2,349,551 15/44 Helm l3120 2,526,572 10/52 Marshall 131 -474 2,900,987 18/59 Campbell 131 174 3;073,-317 6/63. Campbell MELVIN D, RElN, Exaii iinei' ABRAHAM Gt- STONE, ,fimq nxmin er, 1 

1. IN A CIGARETTE HAVING A LIGHTING END AND A MOUTHPIECE END, A TUBULAR CIGARETTE PAPER MEMBER OF CONSTANT DIAMETER AND A CONSTANT DIAMETER FILLER WITHIN SAID MEMBER, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING, (U) AN OPEN-ENDED TROUGH-SHAPED ASH RETAINING MEMBER OF POROUS FIRE RESISTANT MATERIAL, UNIFORMLY SECURED IN FIRM LAMINATED RELATIONSHIP THROUGHOUT ITS ENTIRE LENGTH TO A PORTION OF THE OUTSIDE LOWER HALF CIRCUMFERENCE OF SAID TUBULAR PAPER MEMBER, (2) SAID ASH RETAINING MEMBER INCLUDING A FRONT END CONTIGUOUS TO AND LONGITUDINALLY EVEN WITH SAID LIGHTING END OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER AND A REAR END ADJACENT TO BUT INWARDLY SPACED FROM SAID MOUTHPIECE END OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER, (3) SAID ASH RETAINING MEMBER FURTHER INCLUDING ADJACENT ITS REAR END A WIDE INTEGRAL NON-POROUS FIRE RESISTANT SNUFFER BAND CONTIGUOUS TO PORTIONS OF THE REMAINING UPPER HALF OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER, (4) SAID ASH RETAINING MEMBER FURTHER INCLUDING A REARWARDLY DIVERGING SUPPORT MEANS OF SUBSTANTIALLY PLANAR FORM, SAID SUPPORT MEANS BEING INTEGRAL WITH THE REAR END OF SAID ASH RETAINING MEMBER AND BEING FOLDABLE AWAY FROM THE ADJACENT SURFACES OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER TO MAINTAIN, WHEN SO FOLDED, SAID MOUTHPIECE END OF SAID CIGARETTE IN SPACED UPRIGHT SUPPORTING RELATIONSHIP WITH RESPECT TO A SUPPORTING SURFACE, (5) WHEREBY WHEN SAID CIGARETTE, IN LIGHTED CONDITION AND IN UPRIGHT RELATION, IS DISCARDED, WITH THE FRONT END AND REAR SUPPORT MEANS OF SAID ASH RETAINING MEMBER BOTH CONTACTING A COMBUSTIBLE SUPPORTING SURFACE, THE FIRE RESISTANT TROUGH WILL COLLECT AND RETAIN THE ASHES FROM THE LIGHTED CIGARETTE AND THE SNUFFER BAND WILL EXTINGUISH THE CIGARETTE, THUS AIDING IN THE PREVENTION OF ACCIDENTAL FIRE TO SAID SUPPORTING SURFACE. 